Structures to grow veg up?

[andrewo]

Radishes are also good between your potato rows, fast crop and few varieties, you can also do lettuce or spinach as a quick crop.

[andrewo]

I'm thinking of growing sweetpeas, nasturtiums and sunflowers with my hops so they can scramble up the same wigwam. Do you think it will work, they are in giant metal tubs and one is in the ground but I thought that way I would get colour and a crop from summer through to late autumn.

[WiZeR]

cheers i cant stand radish, i'll try spinach and lettuce

[nick the grief]

The only problem I can see Andrew would be the Hops are verry vigourous usually and the others might not get a look in. Nastursiums usually get covered in blalck fly round here as well.

[Tigger]

Hazel and Willow are sold around here for £22 per 30. I've just bought 90 Hazels, 9 foot or higher, with a diameter of 1-2inches to make walk through tunnels for beans, peas, sweet peas, etc. Got the idea from the latest Grow Organic magazine from Ryton. As they should last at least five years, they're good value.

Let me know if you want the details of the supplier as she's happy for me to give them out.

[sewer rat]

Anybody got any thoughts on using weld-mesh ( the type they use to strengthen concrete floors) to make a frame for climbers. I can get some sheets v. cheap and thought it would make sturdy frame for peas (Alderman) Runner and French Beans. Admittedly not very pretty as it only comes in one colour - rust, but could be painted.

[nick the grief]

It would be a pain to get the haulms off at the end of the year.

[Nicos]

I wonder if you painted them with radiator enamel -or something more heat resistant - you could blowtorch them off! Now that would be something to look forward to !

[sewer rat]

Nick
That would have to be a "specially important" job for Iona who will then be five and officially a big girl so she should be able to cope - if I'm feeling kind I might even take them down first

[sewer rat]

Nicos
Could leave them in situ complete with haulms, then on Guy Fawkes night, attach a heap of Catherine Wheels to the mesh and burn the haulms off in one easy go.

[Nicos]

A 5 yr old with a blow torch eh????

[cotton54321]

would love to know suppliers details tigger - got to get sorted this weekend!

[andrewo]

I saw haulms used at chelsea and tatton a few years ago, even the rusted ones look nice. If you have a windy spot they are the ultimate indestructable material, would be good for runner beans.

[Peter]

Lady on our site bought fancy frame for her beans.

Consisted of four bits of treated 2"x"" timber, two small galvanised sheet steel brackets and two large sheets of galvanised welded metal 2" hole thick-wire mesh.

Having just replaced 52m of fence, removing the old knackered fence and its "repairs" I have five 12'x4' panels of lightweight concrete reinforcing mesh, which I reckon if I lean two against each other, tie the tops together and put one post in the middle at each end I'll have a better structure.

BTW, Andrew, surely you should destroy haulms with rust on them as the fungus would spread.

[pigletwillie]

I have used some old scaffold poles knocked into the ground to leave them 7 foot high with a cross bar (like a football goal) across. I drilled holes every foot along (both sides) and screwed in vine eyes. The canes can be just slid into the eyes and then pushed into the ground. No string etc and you can set up the canes in a few minutes.

I keep my beans in the same area but do move the soil when I get the bed ready for the next year and add new manure and compost.